First Baptist Church
Why it's listed
Built in 1907 on the northeast corner of East Washington Drive and Hobson Street, First Baptist Church is a brick church in an African American neighborhood just northeast of High Point's downtown. The original building had a Romanesque Revival character, with a west tower, a rose window and crenellated roof lines. In the early 1950s the sanctuary was enlarged, the tower was removed, and a new façade with crenellated corner towers and a large Gothic-style window was built closer to the street. A two-story annex with Sunday school rooms and a basement fellowship hall was added to the north in 1916. The church is regarded as High Point's oldest African American church building and houses its oldest African American congregation. It is also significant for its role as a community center during segregation, and in the 1960s it hosted civil rights meetings, including a visit by Martin Luther King Jr. in 1966. The architectural significance rests on its mix of medieval revival styles, shown in its later additions as a local example of church design from the first half of the twentieth century.
Significance in brief: The nomination describes it as High Point's oldest African American church building and home to the city's oldest African American congregation of any denomination. It is presented as an example of transitional church architecture combining Romanesque Revival elements from 1907 with Gothic Revival work from the early 1950s. The church is also tied to community life in the neighborhood and to civil rights activity in the 1960s.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 08001289, listed January 8, 2009. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 701 E. Washington Dr., High Point |
|---|---|
| County | Guilford County |
| Listed | January 8, 2009 |
| Reference number | 08001289 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1907-early 1950s |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals - Late Gothic Revival |
| Criteria |
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| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Active church; the document describes it as continuing to serve its congregation and the local community. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 35.96344, -79.99991 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Religious properties are listed for their architectural or historical significance, not their religious use. Listing is honorary and does not restrict the congregation's use of the building. The federal rehabilitation credit is generally unavailable unless part of the building is income-producing; some state programmes and preservation grants do cover religious buildings. Federal funding or permits trigger Section 106 review.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 08001289.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5452395
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.